These are bizarre times to be an Orlando Pirates or Kaizer Chiefs supporter. It is a time when millions of men and women - and children, by extension of their parents - around the country are for once unified in misery. This could explain the disaffection among many followers of the two Soweto giants, who transcend townships, cities and provinces.It wasn't always like this.I remember the Saturday evenings when Chiefs fans would taunt their Pirates counterparts after a loss, and vice versa, even if they hadn't played each other, and the only retort you could afford was: "It's not like you beat us."We were Orlando Pirates. We had to be because our father said so. Even my mother, who feigned interest when my father would tell us all that, despite "us" losing to Chiefs in the Iwisa Charity Cup, the BobSave Superbowl trophy was the one "we" really craved. There was plenty of taunting, outside Kwa Shortman which was what the tavern down the road from our home was called - the owner was wheelchair-bound .I remember my friends and I making our way there before the usual 3pm kick-off, having gobbled down our lunch - at the insistence of my mother - and cars lined the street all the way down, just as they did for funerals and weddings.We would be in our shorts and T-shirts, and seldom in shoes, because we would have been playing soccer on the dusty field of Halalisa Primary School - enacting what we hoped to see on the pitch come the real match.The giant speakers would be blaring with legendary commentator Zama Masondo's assessments - only because of the familiar inflection of authority in his voice - not because we could hear his thoughts, what with the noise, and everyone oohing and ahhing, as we kids did the same as our fathers did, except drink the copious amounts of beer on offer.It was a time when our fathers threw all sorts of expletives at the TV.A time when a broadcast was incomplete without Jerry "Legs of Thunder" Sikhosana terrorising either the Chiefs' defenders or the referee - and we all whistled in worship.Tomorrow's derby pits two sides that have lost some of their aura this season. Pirates sit 11th with just 16 points from a possible 42 - 14 matches - with a goal difference of zero. And although Chiefs' position is much healthier: 25 points from a possible 45 - 15 matches - they have lost two cup finals this year and are eight points behind in their title defence.Now both set of fans approach each game with hope, which soon fades into apathy. It never used to be like this. Pirates and Chiefs used to grip our attention long before Saturday afternoon arrived...